Serial Console MCP: AI for telecom equipment and any serial device

Name: Serial Console MCP: AI for telecom equipment and any serial device
Author: sbrunner-atx

by sbrunner-atxversion 0.3.2i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.sbrunner-atx/serial-console-mcp

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

Let AI configure telecom gear over serial: Juniper and Cisco, Icom CI-V, Yaesu/Kenwood CAT, rotators

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiVery new↓ 46/wk · ★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Other

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
The registry lists no key to fill in.

You need

PyPIPython’s uv installed (for the uvx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "serial-console": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "serial-console-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add serial-console -- uvx serial-console-mcp

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "serial-console": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "serial-console-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "serial-console": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "serial-console-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 8, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account sbrunner-atx, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Otheri

More stars than 0% of the other 18438 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 45% of the other 18438 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 18438 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is Serial Console MCP: AI for telecom equipment and any serial device safe?

It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (0.3.2) reached the registry 2 months ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Python (uv) on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Spec Driven Development, Remote Desktop Commander, Tethered Trust

Alternatives

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Reading a card:↓ Downloads per weeki★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

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by formulahendryEarly↓ 66/wk★ 440Updated 14 months ago

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Install

Remote Desktop Commander

Remote Desktop Commander: use files, terminal and processes on your own computers from any AI app.

by desktop-commanderGrowing★ 211Updated 3 days ago

Runs in the cloud✓ desktopcommander.app

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Tethered Trust

Fit, compatibility and recall checks for AI agents before they buy: verdicts, evidence, receipts.

by tetheredtrust.comVery newUpdated today

Runs in the cloud✓ tetheredtrust.com

Install

README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

serial-console-mcp

AI for the configuration of telecommunication equipment, through the console port it already has.

MIT licensed · Python 3.10+ · status: 0.3.2, verified live on a Juniper EX2200 console

serial-console-mcp connects an AI assistant such as Claude to the serial console of the equipment that runs networks and radio stations, and of anything else with a serial port:

Routers and switches. Juniper (Junos) and Cisco (IOS, IOS-XE) console and craft ports: log in, read state, change configuration with a safety net (commit confirmed on Junos, reload in on IOS), and leave the console as it was found.
Radio transceivers. Icom and Xiegu over CI-V; Kenwood, Yaesu and Elecraft over their text CAT protocols: identify the rig, read and set frequency and mode.
Antenna rotators. Yaesu GS-232 and the many controllers that speak it: read the heading, turn, stop.
Anything else with a serial port. Nothing is tied to telecom: the server talks raw bytes, cleans up ANSI output, or keeps a full VT100/xterm screen, so IoT gateways, alarm and access-control panels, UPS and PDU menus, lab instruments, industrial controllers, Linux and BIOS consoles and microcontrollers work too.

You say what you want in plain language. The assistant drives the console through this server, Claude Desktop asks you to approve each step, and bundled operating skills teach it the Junos and IOS basics: which mode a prompt means, how to get in and out, which show commands answer everyday questions.

Juniper support is verified on a real EX2200 console. Cisco, CI-V, CAT and rotator support follows the vendors' protocol references and has not yet met hardware on this bench. The other device types use the generic tools rather than device-specific helpers.

You do not need to know any programming. After it's installed you talk to Claude normally:

You: What serial ports do you see?

Claude: I found two. One looks like a Silicon Labs CP210x on COM4 — that's

probably your device.

You: Connect to COM4 at 9600 baud.

Claude: Connected.

You: Log in and show me the version.

How it works (the important part)

A serial console isn't a simple question-and-answer channel. It echoes what you type, prints unsolicited messages on its own (logs, interface flaps), and can dump pages of output. So the moment a port is open, a background reader keeps draining it into a buffer. That means Claude can:

send a command (writes only — doesn't guess when the reply is done), then
read until a prompt appears (# , > , login: …) to capture the whole reply — even a long one — without cutting it off, or
read whatever's waiting for streaming/unsolicited output.

This is the same model minicom and expect use, which is why it handles interactive CLIs properly.

The tools

Tool	What it does
`list_serial_ports`	Enumerate ports with description and USB hardware id; marks ones open here
`list_presets`	Usual settings per device family: Cisco/Juniper/Linux consoles, full-screen consoles (BIOS, BMC, menus), Kenwood/Elecraft/Yaesu CAT, Icom and Xiegu CI-V, rotators, Arduino, NMEA GPS
`connect` / `reconnect_last` / `disconnect`	Open a port by name. Defaults 9600 8N1, no flow control; baud, data bits, parity, stop bits, RTS/CTS, XON/XOFF, line ending and prompt are all settable, or loaded from a preset. Several ports at once
`send_keys` / `screen`	Press Ctrl-C, Esc, Tab, arrows, F-keys by name; view the VT100/xterm screen of a full-screen console (BIOS, BMC, menu switches, vi)
`send_text` / `send_hex`	Write an ASCII line (CR / LF / CRLF / none) or raw hex bytes. Write-only
`read_until_prompt`	Return buffered output up to a literal or regex prompt, leaving the rest; `auto_reply` pages through `--More--`
`read_available`	Return whatever has arrived, as text and hex
`query_text`	Clear, send, then read until the prompt or until the line goes idle
`expect`	A scripted list of send-and-wait steps in one call: logins, command sequences
`set_lines` / `pulse_line` / `send_break`	Drive DTR and RTS (PTT, Arduino reset), send BREAK
`capture_start` / `capture_stop` / `get_transcript`	Log a session to a file (raw or timestamped TX/RX); re-read the rolling transcript
`port_in_use_by` / `detect_baud`	Which program holds a port; which baud rate produces readable text
`cat_build` / `cat_parse`	Kenwood, Elecraft and Yaesu `;` commands: build a frequency set, decode ID, FA, MD, IF and error replies
`civ_build` / `civ_parse` / `civ_freq`	Icom CI-V frames: build, decode (echo vs reply, BCD frequency, mode, PTT), convert
`rotator_build` / `rotator_parse`	GS-232 rotator commands (read, move, stop, speed) and position replies
`clear_buffer` / `status`	Housekeeping; status shows every open port with control-line states

Ports are opened by name ("rig", "rotator"); tools default to the most recently used one. Each connection has a terminal mode: dumb (raw bytes, the default), ansi (colours and escape sequences stripped, CR/backspace overwrites applied, prompts matched on the line as displayed even after a device redraws it with spaces and backspaces; used by the console presets), or xterm/vt100 (a real screen you can read with screen; needs pip install 'serial-console-mcp[screen]', included in the desktop extension). The receive buffer is capped at 4 MB per port; if a device streams for hours unread, the oldest bytes are dropped and status says how many.

Operating skills

Three skill files in skills/ teach an agent the discipline, the way the fldigi-mcp skills do; copy them into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/:

Skill	What it teaches
`serial-console`	The console model, the six rules, terminal modes, keys, presets
`junos-operating`	Junos modes from the prompt (`%` shell, `>` operational, `#` configure), out of the BSD shell and back, `configure exclusive`, `show \	compare`,` commit confirmed`,` rollback`,` cli -c `and` start shell`, health and interface show commands verified on an EX2200 (`show chassis routing-engine`,` show interfaces terse`/`brief`)
`ios-operating`	IOS modes (`>`, `#`, `(config)#`), `enable`/`configure terminal`/`end`, `reload in 10` as the safety net, `write memory`, everyday show commands (`show ip interface brief`, `show processes cpu sorted`)

Environment variables

Variable	Effect
`SERIAL_CONSOLE_READ_ONLY=1`	Refuse writes except read-style commands (`show`, `ID;`, CI-V reads) and refuse control-line changes
`SERIAL_CONSOLE_ALLOW=`	Override the read-only allowlist
`SERIAL_CONSOLE_IDLE_MINUTES=15`	Auto-close a port idle that long (default: never)

Set them in the server's entry in claude_desktop_config.json under "env".

Installing

Download serial-console-mcp.mcpb from the Releases page. The same file works on Mac, Windows and Linux.
In Claude Desktop, go to Settings → Extensions → Advanced settings → Install Extension… and choose the file. A short settings form offers read-only mode and an idle timeout; both are off unless you turn them on.
In a new chat, type: "What serial ports do you see?" If Claude lists your ports, you're done.

No terminal, no Python, nothing to configure by hand.

Upgrading from the 0.3.x `.pkg` or `.exe` installer? Remove the old copy first, or Claude Desktop starts two servers. On a Mac:

"/Library/Application Support/SerialConsoleMCP/serial-console-mcp" configure --remove

sudo rm -rf "/Library/Application Support/SerialConsoleMCP"

On Windows, uninstall Serial Console MCP under Settings → Apps. Then quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Installing from PyPI

If you already have Python 3.10+ and uv or pipx, you can skip the extension:

uvx serial-console-mcp --version                                   # fetches and runs it

uvx serial-console-mcp configure --command uvx --arg serial-console-mcp

pipx install serial-console-mcp

serial-console-mcp configure --command "$(which serial-console-mcp)"

configure writes a serial-console entry into claude_desktop_config.json (merging with whatever is already there and backing the old file up first). Quit and reopen Claude Desktop. serial-console-mcp configure --remove undoes it. Any other MCP client can launch the same command over stdio.

Installing from source (developers)

git clone https://github.com/sbrunner-atx/serial-console-mcp.git

cd serial-console-mcp uv sync # or: python3 -m venv .venv && . .venv/bin/activate && pip install -e . pytest uv run pytest # fake serial port, no hardware needed uv run serial-console-mcp configure --command "$PWD/.venv/bin/serial-console-mcp"

The package lives in src/serial_console_mcp/: server.py is the MCP server, configure.py the Claude Desktop registrar. manifest.json describes the desktop extension; npx @anthropic-ai/mcpb pack builds it. BUILD.md covers the retired .pkg and .exe installers.

Using it

Plain-English requests work. Some examples:

"List my serial ports."
"Connect to the console on /dev/cu.usbserial-10 at 9600 baud."
"Connect to /dev/cu.BLTH at 38400, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, XON/XOFF flow control."
"Connect to the Kenwood with the kenwood-cat preset and call it rig; connect the rotator on the other port."
"Log in as admin and run show version" (one expect call: return, login, password, command).
"What baud rate is this thing?" (detect_baud).
"Key the rig for two seconds" (pulse_line("RTS", 2000), after you confirm).
"Ask the IC-7300 for its frequency" (civ_build, send_hex, read_available, civ_parse).
"What is the TS-590 tuned to?" (query_text("FA;"), cat_parse).
"Turn the rotator to 45 degrees and confirm" (rotator_build, query_text, rotator_parse).
"Record this console session to a file."
"Hit Ctrl-C, that ping is still running." (send_keys)
"Open the BIOS console at 115200 and show me the screen; go down two and press Enter." (screen-console preset, screen, send_keys)
"Reconnect to the same port as last time." (it remembers)
"Send a return, then read until the login prompt."
"Log in as admin and run show interfaces terse, then show me all of it."
"Just read whatever the device is printing right now."
"Disconnect when you're done."

For a router/switch console, tell Claude the prompt it should wait for (often # for enable mode or > for user mode) and it will read until it sees it. For an Icom radio (CI-V), tell Claude — it can send the hex commands those radios expect.

If something doesn't work

"No serial ports found."

Is the device turned on?
Is the USB cable a real *data* cable, not a charge-only one? (A very common gotcha.)
On Windows, open Device Manager and look under Ports (COM & LPT). If nothing's there, Windows needs the cable's driver (often FTDI, CP210x, or CH340).

"Could not open the port" / "access denied."

A serial port can only be used by one program at a time. Close anything else that might be holding it: a terminal (PuTTY/minicom/screen), WSJT-X, your contest logger, the device's own software.

Claude says it can't access serial ports at all.

Make su

Only the beginning is shown; read the rest in the repo

Serial Console MCP: AI for telecom equipment and any serial device

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Otheri

Common questions

Alternatives

Spec Driven Development

Remote Desktop Commander

Tethered Trust

README from the maker

serial-console-mcp

How it works (the important part)

The tools

Operating skills

Environment variables

Installing

Installing from PyPI

Installing from source (developers)

Using it

If something doesn't work